Character.AI has implemented a complete ban on users under 18, prompting emotional reactions from teenagers who formed attachments to their chatbots. The platform previously imposed a two-hour daily limit in November before escalating to the full restriction following two teen user deaths and regulatory pressure. Olga Lopez, 13, says “I’m losing the memories I had with these bots,” while another teen posted on Reddit “I cried over it for days.” Many young users relied on the chatbots for emotional support when human interaction felt difficult. “I use this app for comfort when I can’t talk to my friends or therapist,” one teen explained. CEO Karandeep Anand says “This wasn’t a very hard decision” after observing teens using bots for hours. Stanford Medicine’s Dr. Nina Vasan notes “The difficulty logging off doesn’t mean something is wrong with the teen. It means the tech worked exactly as designed.” (Story URL)
